Lever closing ring for containers



Sept. 22, 1959 v, HORNSBY 2,905,496

LEVER CLOSING RING FOR CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Vv'viamDHOmsbg ATTORNEYS P 22, 1959 v. D. HORNSBY 2,905,496

LEVER CLOSING RING FOR CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2ML I @iijjjjij: 1: Q 1 W H nuuullluullnIllllllllw 5 IIIIIII INVENTORVivian D. Homsly ATTORNEYS 2,905,496 Ii'EV'ER fiEOSlNG RING FORCNTA1NERS Vivian D. HornsbygshakerHeights, Ohio; assignmto- The F. C;Thornton -Company,-Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation :of Ohio ApplicationNovember- 20, 1'95-7;Srial N0i697g690 sclaimsr (Cl. 292-25659 ThisinVentiomsreIates'tO container sealing devices and more particularly :itpertains to a lever closing ring for clamping inplace the cover ofacontainer such' -a's a metal t fiher shippingdr'um;

Generally; shipping drumsare open at onevend' and are provided with a"peripheral bead removable cover-for the" open end "is provided with a--complementary peripheral flange for fitting over" the head in*- asubstantially airtight manner. The cover flange is secured 'oir the headb'y'a split ring ofchannel sh apedcross se'ct'iori that clampsthe'fl'ange and b'ead tog'ethe'r.

Priorcl-amping rings have included various means for contractingand'expanding-theringi Most of' the prior rihgs' have'been subject toseveral disadvantageshaving both structural and economic aspects. Insome lever lock'rings' the'lever'movesin' the plane of the ring eitherinsideor outside ofthe ring'circumfere'nce One disadvantagefof suchconstruction has been that the levers prevent compact stackingjo-f theshippingdrums.- Also: wherethe lver movable 'within thecircumference ofthe ring, it usually covers a" portion of the surface-of the cover andtherebyjreduces the was available for d'cora: tionjadvertising; and thelike.

Other priorlo'cl'rings have lever' mechanisms movahle in a planeperpendicular to that "of the Siich magne nisms'aa'eusuallycomplicated in nature 'with' a consider able numherof partswhieh' areunduly costly. I

Another disadvantage inherent'inmost lever "loch rings isth'e tendencyof'the-ends'of tlie-to' gapopen. one 0r"-hoth ends" tend to spring-outradial-1y "front alignment each other and away from a desirahl'e' closefit on the eoverand di umassembl y. Such-tendency ultimately may-resaleincompletefailureof thering'to locl the cover to the drum flange.

The device of*thepreserit'inventionincludes'a closing leverfora' splitlock ring having two end portions which are bronght'into'closelyalignedpositions 'with respect to each otherfduri'ngQ-thelocking.movement ofth'e lever from the open position in a plane perpendicular tothat of the ring to. the closed position in the plane ofthe riiig';Onetendv of. the-lever is. pivoted: to. one end .ofithe ring and theother end. of :the ring. is pivotally connected to t a connecting; link;the'othe-r end of'whic-h is pivotallyr at- \tached to the lever; Inthe-closed posit-ion" all pivotal conneetionsxbetween the ring, thelever; and the link are in aligiimentrwith eachother. In addition,- thelever: and link fit snu'gly agai nstthe outer periphery o-fftheningr'and the lever" includesan oflFs'et intermediate portion enclosingthe connecting lir'ile One end of the oifset intermediate portion ofthelever is-aninelti-ned end wall which serves aswaicam-tor'directin'g oneendof the ring intoe'nd-tioend alignment with the other endof theringwhere it is retained by one end portion of the lever which h ts snugly.against the outer periphery of the ring.

Accordingly; it is. anohject of invention torprovide alever closing ringfor containers havingthe. economic Patented Sept. 22, 1959 advantages ofminimum number of ane-andm assembly costs."

It is another objeeto'fthis invention to-providea lever closingring'for'shippiiigdrums-havinga' lever movable in a plane perpendicularto the plane'- ofthe ring, It anotherobject of th'is-invention' toprovide a lever closing ring for metal or fiber shipping drums whichprovides aninclined camming surface for directing and holding oppositeends of the ring in close'alignment in the-locked position? It is stillanother object of this inventionto providea lever closing ringforshipping d'r'ums which the lever during the closing operation notonly brings the split ring" together into smallerclamping-diameter whilemoving the ends into closely spaced alimed positions in the-sarne'plane; but-alsd-b-rihgs and holds' oneend ofthering-in the same radialzone as that of' th'e other'end of the ring.

Finally; it is an objecf ofthis invention to provide an improved leverlocking ring'tor oontainerswh-ichsubstantialIy' eliminatesthedifliculties enumerated and which obrains-the foregoingd'esid'erata-ina" simple and-effective mannerl- Theseand" otherol'afects and advantages apparent to those skilled in the" art'I-fromthe following descriptionand claims nr'iy be "obtained, thestatedresults achieved andthedeserioed diffieultie's overcome by thediscoveries; principles, apparatus; parts; combinations, suboombina=tions aird"- elements which comprise" the present invention', thenathreofwhich is set for-thin the following statement; preferred embodimentsofwhichillustrative ofithe' bestrnode's" in which applicant, hascontemplated applying the principles;are" set' forth" .inthe followingdescription; arid which are particularly-and distinctly pointed' outands'etforth in the appended claims form= ingpartfhereoff p The improvedlever-closing ring construction of the; prsenfinvention maybe statedingeneral terms as in cluding in .acylindrical; open headshipping drumhaving a: closed "bottohi and anopen top-with a peripheral v beadthere'arou'n'd, ,HTCQVGI for'the open tophaving a peripheralflangeengageahle with'the" head, a metal split ring sun rounding theengaged flange and bead, the ring being substantially U s'haped in crosssection; the ring having first and seoond en'd. portions alignablein'spacedrel'atipn'iwhen theringqisisurroundingthe engaged flange and Ibeatija'l ockirr'g lever havirig opposite end portions and anintermediate ofi'setpor tion, one end portion, of the leverbefrrg=pivotally at-tachedit o one end portion of, the. ring with theintermediate offset-portionoutwardly spaced from th'e" periphery 0tthe=ring; 1a connecting link having one end pivotal'lyattachedtotheother end portion of'the ring; thetotherendr'ofthe-linlebeingpivotallyattached to tlr intermediate portion of the'lever; theintermediateotfsetpor-tiorrofthe' lever having znconnecting inclined cammingportiorrat an angle-to the plane ofithe end portion pivotedtothefirsfportion of "the ring, the intermediate portion ofthe. leverbeing substantially longer than the connecting lihk and-forming ailink"receiving space with theriii-g; the'l'everbeing movable in.a planeperpendicular'to theplane of the ring 'hetween an open position and aclosed position, the-latter position being. in the plane ofi the -ring,the i-nclinedportion'ofthe lever providing a carnming' surface"means-:for directing saidother end portion of" the ring snugly-againstthe assembled flange and' beaidand in" alignmentwith saidiotherendportion whenrthe lever is in the closed position, and the ring havinganoffset loop means for receiving the hookedend of the leverr I,

The preferred emhodimentssoffthe invention are illustrated, by. wayofexaniple,,.in the accompanying drawiiigs', .whereiii:

Figure l is a fragmentary elevational view of a lever closing ring inthe closed position on a shipping drum;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the device in the openposition; 7

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view ofthe device in anintermediately closed position;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device in the intermediate position asshown in Fig. 3;

'Fig. is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5; g V

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5; p I

Fig. 9 is a fragmentaiy elevational view of another embodiment of thedrum and lever closing ring; and

Fig. is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 1010 ofFig. 9.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several figuresof the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 6, an open head barrel, container, or drum 1includes a necked-in portion 2 and a rolled or curled head 3 at theupper end thereof. A recessed cover or closure 4 fits into the necked-inportion 2 of the drum 1 and is provided at the upper end with a roundedflange 5 in which is seated an annular compressed gasket or sealing ring6 for engagement with the upper side of the head 3 of the drum 1.

The cover 4 is retained on the drum 1 by a closing ring 7 which issubstantially U-shaped in transverse cross section and has an upper lip8 and a lower lip 9. As shown in Fig. 6, the upper lip 8 engages therounded flange 5 and the lower lip 9 engages the under portion of thebead 3 and the lips extend at an angle to each other so that upontightening of the closing ring 7, the flange 5 is pressed against thebead 3 and the gasket 6 is compressed therebetween. As shown in Figs.l-4, the closing ring 7 is split and includes ring end portions 10 and11 which are separated to permit expansion of the ring to enable thelower lip 9 to clear the outer peripheries of the rounded flange 5 andhead 3, and which are broughttogether when the ring is closed in theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The closing ring 7 has means for opening and closing including a handlelever 12 and a connecting link 13. The lever 12 is an elongated slightlyarcuate member having opposite end portions 14 and 15 and intermediateportion 16, the latter of which is offset from the end portions 14 and 15 and outwardly from the closing ring 7. The intermediate portion 16 isconnected to the end portions 14 and '15, respectively, by portions orsegments 17 and 18 of the lever inclined at an angle to the end portion15. The intermediate portion 16 forms a clearance 19 with the outerperiphery of the ring 7 in which is disposed the connecting link 13 asshown in Fig. 5.

The lever 12 is pivotally connected to the end portion 11 of the ring 7by a rivet 20 extending through the end portion 15 of the lever. Theconnecting link 13 is pivotally attached to the opposite end portion 10of the ring 7 at one end by a rivet 21. The other end of the connectinglink 13 is pivotally connected to the lever 12 at the intermediateportion thereof by a rivet 22.

Thus the closing ring 7 is provided with a closing device having onlytwo operating parts including the handle lever 12 and the connectinglink 13, and three rivets 20, 21, and 22. Moreover, minimum assemblycosts are involved in that only sixholes (two for each rivet) arepunched in the parts and one loop is embossed in-the ring.

The end portion '14 of the handle lever 12 is notche at 23 to provide ahook 24 at the end of the lever for engagement with a loop 25 embossedat the outer periphery of the ring 7. When the lever is rotated to theclosed position (Fig. l), the hook 24 engages the loop 25 where it isretained against easy dislodgment by a boss 26 in the lower part of thehook as shown in Fig. 6. Moreover, a hole 27 is provided in the endportion 14 of the lever so that a sealing wire (not shown) may beattached to the loop. 7

The ring 7 is opened and closed by moving the handle lever 12 about thepivotal rivet 20 in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the ring. Whenthe ring is closed by pushing down on the lever 12, the manual operationis relatively easy because the bottom of the drum is resting on a flooras compared with the type of lever that is moved for opening and closingin the plane of the ring.

When the lever 12 is fully raised or substantially so as shown in Fig.2, the end portions 10 and ll of the ring 7 are horizontally andvertically spaced from each other.

' In the raised position of the lever '12 the connecting link 3.However, the ring 7 may be spread sufficiently to permit the inner endof the lower lip 9 to pass freely over the outer periphery of therounded flange 5 of the cover 4. i

When the ring is in place and ready for closing, the lever 12 is loweredfrom the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3. During that movement ofthe lever 12 the connecting link 13 moves the end portion 10 verticallyand horizontally into closer alignment with the end portion 11 (Fig. 3).The downward rotational movement of the lever 12 moves the end portion10 through the link 13 into closer and closer alignment with the endportion 11. In the final closed position of Fig. l the end portions 10and 11 are in complete alignment with each other. The rivets 2t 21, and22 are aligned, and the hook 24 engages the loop 25 as shown.

During the final movement of the lever handle 12 from the position ofFig. 3 to that of Fig. 1, the inclined portion 18 of the lever handlefunctions as a cam to move the end portion 10 of the ring 7 radiallyinward against the drum and cover assembly whereby it is brought intoand retained in alignment with the end portion 11 in the closed positionof the lever as shown in Fig. 5. In the closed position the end portions10 and 11 of the closing ring 7 are preferably slightly spaced from eachother and the outer surfaces of both end portions are in abutment withthe inner surface of end portion 15 of the lever. The ends 10 and 11 ofthe ring are retained snugly in place against the assembly of the flange5 and head 3. So long as the lever 12 is maintained in the closedposition of Figs. 1 and 5, there is no possibility of the end portions10 and 11 of the ring moving outward from their tight contact with theflange 5 and head 3. Accordingly, the ring 7 is held in place until thelever is again opened.

Another embodiment of the ring is shown at 28 in Figs. 9 and 10. Thering 28 is a substantially channel member having an upper leg 29 and alower leg 30. The cross section of the ring 28 including the upper andlower legs 29 and 30 differs from that of the ring 7. The ring 7 is theusual type of ring used for steel drums like the drum 1. The closingring 28, on the other hand, is the type of ring used for fiber drums 31(Fig. 10), the upper end of which is necked-in at 32 and headed at 33,which configuration is encased Within a surrounding metal reinforcingmember 34. The fiber drum 31 is provided with a cover or closure 35having a flange 36 extending outwardly and downwardly around the bead 33of the drum as shown in Fig. 10.

Moreover, the ring 28 is provided with a handle lever 37. and aconnecting link 38 (similar to the handle 12 and link '13) which areattached to the ring 28 and to each other by similar rivets 39, 40, and41. A hooked end 42 The particularring 28 i" vi'ng the upper-nea lowerlegs 29 an'd* 30 is adapted t ret'airl thepm cover 35'on-th'efiberdrum-32 For"that purposeng 28 includes a closing'rneans identiealwith are 'clbsmgmean's for the-"ring 7 wlii'ch i aiaunny adapteddot-retaining the recessed" cover Or 'cIQsur e-4 on tll'e stel bpen headdrum-1;

The device of the present inve'n over-previous-.-construction I tivemearls -for n'ot only opeiiltig 'arid elesing'tue angent also forholding the ends of the ring snugly againstthe periphery of the cover ofthe drum andin alignment with each other." For'tha't urpese thecresrfig'rrag-inuudes a two-piece handle-levers mechanismrwhich israised and lowered in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the coverbetween open-and closed-positfins for expanding and-contracting thering;A" parts is' involved including a handle lever, a connecting link, andthree rivets. Thus assembly costs are maintained at a minimum. Each ofthe ring, lever, link, and rivet parts are of simplest design.

More particularly, the ring closing mechanism is provided with aninclined cam surface. During the early stages of closing the ring theend portions thereof are moved in two directions horizontally andvertically into substantial alignment With each other. During the finalclosing stage of the lever, the inclined cam surface of the lever comesinto contact with one of the open ends of the ring and moves it snuglyagainst the periphery of the cover in precise alignment with the otherend of the ring. In the final closing stage during said camming actionthe end portion of the ring is moved into the close fitting position inprecise alignment with the other end of the ring against the normaloutward thrust of the ring and away from the final closed position ofthe ring. Accordingly, the lever closing mechanism moves the ends of thesplit ring through three directions as compared to the priorconstructions which move the ends through only two directions forclosing. As a result, the problem of gappage between the ends of thering is eliminated and thereby prevents the ring from causing slippingas in some prior constructions.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because suchwords are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to bebroadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated anddescribed herein are by way of example, and the scope of the presentinvention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown.

Having now described the features, constructions, and principles of theinvention, the characteristics of the lever closing ring, and theadvantageous, new and useful results provided; the new and usefuldiscoveries, principles, parts, elements, combinations, subcombinations,structures and arrangements, and mechanical equivalents obvious to thoseskilled in the art are set forth in the ap pended claims.

I claim:

1. A lever closing ring device for a drum of the open head type having aperipheral bead provided with a drum cover having a bead engagingflange, the device including a split clamping ring having spaced endsand having a U-shaped transverse cross section engageable with saidflange and bead when the latter are assembled, means for expanding andcontracting the ring including a lever pivotally connected to the ringnear one of said ends, a connecting link pivoted to the ring near saidother end, the connecting link also being pivoted to the lever, and thelever having inclined surface means radially facing the ring engagingand pressing said other end of the ring 6 radially-inwardly against saidassembled flange arid b'ead during ring contracting movement of thel'ever,

2. A -lever 'cl'osin'g ring device 'for a drum of the e en head-typehaving a peripher'a'l bead provided with a dr 1'1 rr'1' cover having abead engaging flange, the-device includ in'g a splitclampingrin'ghaving" spaced ends andfhavingf a U-shaped transverse crosssection engageablewi'th said flange and bead when the latter areassembled, means for expanding and contracting the ring including alevermovable ina plane perpendicular to-the' plane 'of tl'ie ringbetween open and cl'osed positions correspondin'gLto'expanded-andcontracted positions of the ring, tl-le erased positiomofthelever being in' theplane ofthe r-i'n'g' e lev'e'r 'b'eingpivotally;connected-to the ring n'ear or'ie'of said"e'nd's',- a-c'onnecting'linkpivoted' to said ot-hei end of the ring, the" connecting link alsobeingpivoted' at-dts" other end-'"to the lever; andthe leverhaving'inclined'sur facemeans radi'ztllyfacingicthe ring engaging 'andpress' ing sai'd ot-her end of the ring'radially inwardly against saidassembled- Y flange" andbead during ring contracting movement of thelever,

3. A lever closing ring device for a drum of the open head type having aperipheral bead provided with a drum cover having a bead engagingflange, the device including a split clamping ring having spaced firstand Second ends and having a U-shaped transverse cross sectionengageable with said flange and bead when the latter are assembled,means for expanding and contracting the ring including a lever movablein a plane perpendicular to the plane of the ring between open andclosed positions corresponding to expanded and contracted positions ofthe ring, the closed position of the lever being in the plane of thering, the lever having lever end portions and an intermediate portion,the intermediate portion being offset from and connected to at least oneend portion by an inclined lever portion radially engaging and pressingsaid first end of the ring radially inwardly against said assembledflange and bead during ring contracting movement of the lever, the leverbeing pivotally connected at the lever end portion adjacent the inclinedlever portion to the ring near the second end of the ring, a connectinglink pivoted to the ring near the first end of the ring, the connectinglink also being pivoted to the intermediate portion of the lever, andthe intermediate portion of the lever providing a clearance spaceadjacent the ring in which the connecting link is disposed when thelever is in closed position.

4. The construction as set forth in claim 3 in which the ring and leverare provided with complementary means for latching the lever in closedposition.

5. A lever closing ring device for a drum of the open head type having aperipheral bead provided with a drum cover having a bead engagingflange, the device including a split clamping ring having spaced firstand second end portions and having a U-shaped transverse cross sectionengageable with said flange and bead when the latter are assembled,means for expanding and contracting the ring including a lever movablein a plane perpendicular to the plane of the ring between open andclosed positions corresponding to expanded and contracted positions ofthe ring, the closed position of the lever being in the plane of thering, complementary means including a hook on the lever and an integralhook engaging loop in the ring for latching the lever in closedposition, the lever having first and second end portions and anintermediate portion therebetween, the intermediate portion being offsetfrom said lever end portions, the first lever end portion beingpivotally connected to the first ring end portion, a connecting linkpivotally connected at one end to the second end portion of the ring,the connecting link being pivotally connected at its other end to theintermediate portion of the lever, the lever having an inclined cammingportion between the first end portion and the intermediate portion andradially facing the ring, the inclined camming portion of the leverbeing radially engageable with the second end portion of the ring duringthe movement of the lever from open to closed positions, the first endportion of the lever overlapping the spaced first and second endportions of the ring when the lever is in closed position, and theintermediate portion of the lever providing a clearance space for theconnecting link when the lever is in closed position.

6. A lever closing ring device for a drum of the open head type having aperipheral bead provided with a drum cover having a bead engagingflange, the device including a split clamping ring having spaced endsand having circumferentially-extending spaced inturned flangesengageable with said cover flange and drum bead when the latter areassembled, means for expanding and contracting the ring including alever movable in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the ring betweenopen and closed positions corresponding to expanded and contractedpositions of the ring, a connecting link, a pivotal connection betweenone end of the lever and one end of the ring, a pivotal connectionbetween one end of the link and the other end of the ring, a pivotalconnection between the other end of the link and an intermediate portionof the lever, the axes of said pivotal connections being in the sameplane when the lever is in closed position, said plane containing saidclosed-position-pivotal-connections lying intermediate thecircumferentially-extending spaced inturned ring flange andperpendicular to the plane in which the lever is movable, and the leverhaving inclined surface means radially facing the ring engaging andpressing the end of the ring opposite that to which the lever ispivotally connected radially inwardly against said assembled flange andhead during ring contracting movement of the lever.

Fetter Aug. 13, 1935 Carpenter Aug. 14, 1945 3? a (than:- its

